Zoraya, Oklahoma facts for kids
Zoraya, pronounced "Zoray", is a ghost town in western Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. It's located west of a place called Miller. A ghost town is a place where most or all people have left, and buildings are often empty or gone.
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A Busy Post Office
Zoraya once had its own post office. This is where people sent and received letters and packages. It opened on April 22, 1905, when the area was known as Indian Territory. The post office stayed open for about 14 years, closing on October 31, 1919.
The first person in charge of the post office, called the postmaster, was J.A. Kirksey. He was a school teacher. After him, two other people took over: Culberson J. Hudson, who was a Choctaw minister and rancher, and Benjamin W. Shearon, who ran a general store nearby.
Life in the Settlement
Zoraya started as a Choctaw Indian settlement. A settlement is a small community where people live. It was home to a church called Pleasant Cove Cumberland Presbyterian Church. This church had a group of Choctaw people who attended services there.
At its busiest time, about 19 families lived in Zoraya. They lived along a lane with houses on both sides. Many members of these families are buried in the old churchyard. By the late 1930s, the church was no longer active, but people still lived in Zoraya. However, by the 1950s, most people had moved away. Today, Zoraya is no longer a settlement, and you won't find any old buildings there.
A Great Place to Live
Zoraya was located at the bottom of Long Mountain. People thought it was a good place to live for a few reasons. There was excellent hunting nearby. Also, three streams with plenty of water were close by: Little Davenport, Pine, and Ten Mile Creeks. These streams were great for fishing.
A special spot called Blue Hole was also nearby on Little Davenport Creek. It's a deep pool of water that never dries up, providing a good source of water. Blue Hole is about 100 feet (30 meters) long and 20 feet (6 meters) wide. Its water is a deep blue color, which is how it got its name.
School and Community
When Zoraya was part of the Indian Territory, the United States government set aside about 1 acre (4,000 square meters) of land. This land was for the church and a community school. The school taught both white and Choctaw students. Some stories say that the government also found and paid the teachers for the school.
Around the year 1900, the Pleasant Cove Church joined with another church group. This other group was about eight miles (13 km) away at a place called Yellow Spring, or "Kulli Lakna" in the Choctaw language. The new, combined church group was based at Pleasant Cove. This made the church stronger and brought in more people.
A Center for Choctaw Politics
Historically, Pleasant Cove, or Zoraya, was an important place for politics in the Choctaw Nation. The Choctaw Nation is the government of the Choctaw people. Political parties would hold meetings here, and politicians would campaign for elections.
Zoraya also served as a place where people could vote for the Choctaw Nation's elections. This started with the election in August 1896. During the time of the Indian Territory, Zoraya was located in a part of the Choctaw Nation called Jack’s Fork County.
What Remains Today
If you want to learn more about Zoraya, you can find information at the Pushmataha County Historical Society.
The only thing left of the old Zoraya settlement today is the Zoraya Cemetery. It is located at 34°19′52″N 95°46′15″W / 34.33111°N 95.77083°W.
